Seaforth Nature Reserve

Storm Ciara continues to blow, with heavy squally hail showers, a medium sized gull roost held an adw Glaucous Gull on the causeway, an adw Yellow-legged Gull was also sheltering amongst the flock, no sign of any Little Gulls, in fact, small gulls were in very low numbers, the juv/fem Long-tailed Duck was feeding in the North-west corner of the fresh water pool, which was more sheltered than the small boating lake it's been frequenting, 30+ Goldeneye, 8 Pochard, 34 Shoveler, 5.000+ Knot, 1,200 Barwit, 140 Blackwit, and 2 Raven seemed to be enjoying the strong winds as they flew over the warehouse roof.

A great days birding on the reserve on this August bank holiday, a juvenile Spotted Redshank was found by Dan Gornall, still a very scarce species here, the bird was feeding on the salt water pool, a Kingfisher was seen several times flying around the fresh water pool, two juvenile, an Ads-w and a 4ths-w Yellow-legged Gulls came into bathe as well as 5 ad and one juvenile Med Gull, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper was located on the salt water pool briefly joining the sleeping Spo...tted Redshank, a Green Sand was heard calling but not seen, a juv Ruff was on the causeway with 2,500 Knot, whilst watching the waders two Great White Egrets flew in and landed on the causeway, the first time this species has landed, they joined a single Little egret which is regular here at the moment, a Yellow Wagtail flew over calling, whilst a couple of Swift flew around the pool with 30+ House Martins, in the bushes 4+ Willow Warblers, 10 Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat, a Juv Peregrine flushed everything as it flew over, the female Goldeneye was amongst the Tufted and a single Pochard, and one of the regular Ravens was calling from the light gantry on the docks.
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The persistent rain and SE winds produced the goods again today during my lunch time break, the pool was covered in Swallows and House Martins and double figure counts of Swifts, but no Black Terns, the big surprise though was a Spoonbill feeding in the Salt Water pool gutter, still a very scarce bird for here with only a handful of records, an Arctic Tern was feeding over the pool, while 2 Little Egrets were also present, Dunlin, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Common S...andpiper and 12 Turnstone, Reed and Sedge Warblers singing in the reedbed didn't seem to mind the rain, 4 Great Crested Grebes and the pair of Black Swans still present, a return visit after work thanks a text to say there were at last 4 Black Terns feeding over the pool, always superb birds to watch as they gracefully pick insects off the surface of the water, with lots of Black Terns further south, there is hope for more to arrive and maybe something a little rarer amongst them?
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Roseate Tern dropped in during a rainstorm 12-50 until at least 12-55 not Ringed could be still there!Roseate Tern dropped in during a rainstorm 12-50 until at least 12-55 not Ringed could be still there!

A cracking male Pied Flycatcher was found on Saturday by Jon Greep on the long bank in the small elder bushes, it managed to stay for me for a brief view before it was chased off by a Magpie towards the salt water pool bushes and lost to site, only the second ever male and only the fourth record for the reserve, 2 Arctic Terns were amongst the Common and 40+ Sandwich Terns on the causeway, a few Bar-tailed Godwits were amongst the Black-tailed on the wader scrape, 12 Turnston...e, 1 Common Sandpiper and a few Dunlin, 2 Ravens and a Common Buzzard were knocking about, 12 Wheatear and a few White Wagtail, 2 Red-legged Partridge were on the Salt Water long bank, lots of Swallows and House Martins were flying over the pool and these were joined by 12 Swifts, nice to see them back, 3 Little Egrets and an Avocet added to the species totals for the day.
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After this morning's light rain, a few more Terns had arrived with 48 Sandwich Terns and at least one Arctic, 12 Turnstones outside the hide and a small group of Dunlin, 3 Avocets and 50+ Blackwits, and then a pair of Ads Mediterranean Gulls flew in calling and circled the reserve but didn't land, a couple of Swifts and a few Swallows and House Martins not a bad 45mins.

At last, I think I've cried this in, a Swift flying around above the warehouses first of year #firstofMay @SeaforthNRAt last, I think I've cried this in, a Swift flying around above the warehouses first of year #firstofMay @SeaforthNR

Just a very quick visit in lunch hour, the sound of the summer for Seaforth was truly ear shattering from the car park, as the Common Terns were calling in full on Tern mode, mainly due to a Common Buzzard which was going over accompanied by a group of Lesser Black backs giving chase, the skies were looking moody over the Wirral and North Wales with a threat of rain, lots of Swallows were heading North, Blackcap and Whitethroat were singing, a Ringed Plover did a lap over the marina before dropping down onto the reserve, 3 Avocets were on the causeway, still no Swift's!

Three Tern rafts are now out thanks to Mike and his volunteers, and the Common Terns are now up to 100, 3 Avocets still present, 40+ Dunlin, a few knot, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper and 45 Blackwits, a Common Buzzard was hanging out in bushes on the mound, while A Whitethroat and Reed Warbler were singing by the reed bed.

A message before lunch break about a Black-necked Grebe and a Lesser Whitethroat at the reserve had me chomping at the bit to get down there, when I arrived in pouring rain I glanced across the pool and seen two Black-necked Grebes together, but when I got to the hide I was told there was only one, try as I might I couldn't find the second bird, a Greenshank flew in calling and landed briefly on the causeway, before flying onto the salt water pool, lots of Swallows, House and Sand Martins but still no Swift, I returned after work to hear the Lesser Whitethroat singing and seen it briefly in flight, one Black-necked Grebe still present and the Greenshank still calling, 20 Common Teens, 41 Dunlin, 8 Turnstone, 59 Blackwits, 1 Snipe, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 female Goldeneye a load of Tufted and a couple of Gadwall.

The Se winds have worked their magic this Easter weekend, with a superb amount of Yellow Wagtails moving through, 4 on Saturday, several on Sunday but a minimum of 17 on Monday were seen including a flock of 11 and mostly bright yellow males, 30+ White Wagtails, 15+ Wheatears, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers, a single Sedge and reeling Grasshopper Warbler, a male Whinchat on Monday morning, Common Terns have started to arrive with 11 and several Sandwich Terns, Avocets increased to 6 and are no doubt birds that go to Lunt Meadows and wetlands NR, a Sanderling was amongst a small group of Dunlin, and 14 Turnstone, 4 Great Crested Grebe are still present, Little Gull numbers have dropped off with just a few lingering, a male and female Redstart proved elusive on the long bank on Saturday, but were most appreciated.

The Little Gull numbers have been steadily rising lately and reached 24 today, 15ads + 5 1sts feeding over the fresh water pool, 3 Sandwich Terns flew in briefly, still lots of Wheatears with 20+ on the long bank, 30+ White Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail had been seen earlier, a few Blackcap, Chiffchaff and several Willow Warblers in the bushes, 2 Avocets, a Common Sandpiper, 80+ Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Turnstone, a couple of Whimbrel were seen in the morning, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Goldeneye, small numbers of hirundines passing through but still no sign of any Swifts yet, still seem to be missing out on the likes of Redstarts and Ring Ouzels but there's always tomorrow.

After yesterday's Iberian Chiffchaff excitement, which was the reserves second record, today saw a fall of Willow Warblers with a minimum of 14, two or three Blackcaps, 2 Redpoll flew over calling, small groups of Swallows and Sand Martins going through, a probable Tree Pipit in one of the Willows, 30 White Wags, 1 male Yellow wag, 30+ Wheatear, 30+ Meadow Pipits, the first Common Tern flew around calling, a Whimbrel on the edge of the wader scrape, 4 Avocets on the salt water pool, more Little Gulls had arrived with 15 ads + 4 1sts feeding over the pool and one of the resident Ravens flew over.

Two Avocets asleep on the causeway, Common Buzzard over, Chiffchaff singing, 3 Wheatears, Raven and lots of Mining bees out and several Small Tortoiseshell on the wing @SeaforthNR